ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT TAKES DECISION ON OPERATION OF TEGHUT MINE
Noyan Tapan
Nov 1, 2007
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 1, NOYAN TAPAN. At the November 1 sitting, the
Armenian government made a decision on changing the end use of lands
and the allocation of land plots with the aim of implementing the
program on operation of the Teghut copper and molybdenum mine and a
decision on recognizing as an exclusive – superior public interest and
changing the end use of lands in some terriories within administrative
borders of Shnogh and Teghut communities in Lori marz of the Republic
of Armenia.
The RA minister of trade and economic development Nerses Yeritsian told
reporters following the sitting that with operation of the Teghut mine,
about 1,700 jobs will be created. The mine will be operated for 30-40
years, with the annual extraction of ores making 270 million dollars,
which will make up 40-50% of total production in the country. According
to the minister, the Teghut mine is the second largest in Armenia after
the Kajaran mine by the amount of resources. The mine’s confirmed
resources of ores make 450 million tons: 1.6 million tons of copper
and 99 thousand tons of molybdenum. The licence of operation of this
mine for 25 years was granted to Manes and Vallex company in 2001. The
company was reorganized and renamed "Armenian Copper Program" (ACP).
N. Yeritsian informed those present that the program envisages mining
and processing 7 million tons of ore a year at the first stage. The
company plans to make investments of 200 million dollars. Until now
50 million dollars has been invested.
In the words of the minister, last year the RA ministry of
environmental protection made a positive expert conclusion about the
impact of the mine’s operation on the environment. Public hearings were
held, during which the company developed an environmental protection
management plan of the program on operation of the mine. The minister
said that there is no professional substantiation that the mine’s
operation will cause serious environmental problems. Nevertheless, it
was stated that as a result of the Teghut mine’s operation, a 357-ha
section covered with forests will be cut down on the 716-ha production
area, while the company will preserve a 775-ha sanitary area. According
to N. Yeritsian, recreational zones will later be built in these areas.